Thursday, January 22, 2015

Action Alert: Call Now
to Stop Fast Track

As a
community of faith with partners abroad and in our own country who
suffer from unemployment, disease, poverty and environmental degradation, our
priorities rest with the poorest of the poor. Those who are most
marginalized are disproportionately affected by bad trade agreements.
Together let us caution our representatives against an economy of
exclusion.

Fast Track
for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would pose a grave risk to
good-paying jobs and economic equality in the United States and
beyond. Please participate in today's National Call-in
Day against Fast Track by calling your Representative now at (888) 804-8311 and
urging them to oppose Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The TPP has
been negotiated in secret and has still not been released to the
public. Meanwhile, hundreds of corporate lobbyists have been granted
access to the texts and have, in fact, been enlisted to help write them. This
is not something that should be rushed through the approval process.

We cannot
afford for Congress to Fast Track a "NAFTA of the Pacific" that
offshores jobs, drives down wages in the jobs that are left and reduces
revenues for our schools, roads and bridges, while also giving transnational
corporations the power to attack our environmental, consumer and other public
interest policies.

Call
Congress now at (888)
804-8311 and voice your opposition to Fast Track for the TPP.

Calling
only takes a minute, but it delivers a powerful message to Congress that
constituents are watching them on this issue. Together, our calls and emails
stopped Fast Track in the last session — and together we can stop Fast Track
for good this year. Please call now.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

January 21, 2015 marks the fifth
anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens
United v. Federal Election Commission, defining a corporation as a ‘person’
with the same free speech rights under the First Amendment as individuals.
Moreover, it held that political spending is a form of protected speech under
the First Amendment of the Constitution. This decision undid campaign-finance
law that protected voters from undue corporate influence and prevented corporations
and unions from electioneering. Now, they can influence elections by funding
campaigns through political action committees and financing political ads.

The Citizens
United decision set a precedent for the further opening of campaign
spending by wealthy individuals and interest groups. In 2012, the Supreme Court
ruled in McCutcheon v. Federal Election
Commission that corporations and wealthy donors are no longer limited in their
aggregate biennial contributions to campaigns.

Together, these decisions have created
a disaster for the promise of democracy – a promise that says that every voice
counts. More now than ever, the voices of profit-seeking corporations and
special interests are louder and hold the attention of our elected officials more
than the voices the average Americans.

In the past five years, we have seen an
unprecedented
amount of spending each election cycle.These large contributions by corporations and wealthy interest groupshave influenced our nation’s policies.
Legislation to end gun
violenceaddress climate
change, and pass just
immigration reform have failed partly due to hefty
campaign contributions from the companies that profit from these social
problems. Our lawmakers are beholden to the interests of those that help them
get elected. For example, ninety percent of Americans support some kind of gun
control, like universal background checks, yet such legislation lies fallow in
Congress. Lawmakers and and private interests have facilitated the appalling
privatization of our prison system, because they stand to make money on the
backs of prisoners. Little will change
until we demand that the wealthiest no longer have greater access and power
over our lawmakers than the average citizen.

The
Christian Call to Respond

As Christians we are called to be
prophetic in how we care for the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our
nation. They are the ones most affected by the disproportionate voice of money
in politics. To be good partners and advocates for the issues that matter most
to them, we must stand for change.

In “Lift Every Voice: Democracy, Voting
Rights, and Electoral Reform,” the 218th General Assembly stated
that:

“Large sums of money, and the time needed to
raise it, dominate our electoral and legislative processes. Money buys access
to legislators as well as to the details in legislation. If they reject special
interest money, candidates fear that their opponents will outspend them—and
spending counts: incumbents almost always raise more money than challengers,
and the candidate who spends the most money almost always wins. (For House
seats, the number is more than 90 percent.) Because the Supreme Court has ruled
[that] campaign contributions are a protected form of “speech,” the
most important reform to enhance the voice of citizens and reduce the role of
powerful special interests and big money in elections is public financing.Under
such systems, candidates or parties receive public funds to replace or augment
private money. Public funding can curb the appearance of the influence of big
money over lawmakers, encourage candidates with limited resources to run for
office, and allow politicians to spend less time raising money and more time
serving their constituents.” [emphasis added] - Lift Every Voice: Democracy, Voting Rights, and Electoral
Reform. P. 14

In September 2014, the Senate voted on
a joint resolution ‘Democracy
for All’, that would overturn CitizensUnited and McCutcheon v. FEC, as well as establish that Congress and the states
can regulate election spending. This was a historic vote; even though it failed
to receive the 60 votes necessary to end debate, it is the farthest an
amendment of this kind has advanced. It showed that concern for the undue
influence of money in politics is growing among our legislators. We are calling
for the 114th Congress to bring a Constitutional Amendment back to
the floor.

The Office of Public Witness is
participating in a broad-based effort to highlight the damage CitizensUnited has done to our democracy in the last five years. On January
21, we will join with our partners in the faith and advocacy community to rally
in D.C. in front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to bring attention to the
issue.

Webinar: Building an Economy of
Inclusion Through Fair TradeTuesday, January 20th, 3:00-4:00pm (EST)

Join the
Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment for a webinarjust hours before the President’s State of the
Union Address to get a sneak peek at what President Obama will say about his
2015 trade agenda and what role the new Congress will play. Hear how corporate
interests influence trade agreements and harm the lives of our partners on the
ground in developing countries. Faith advocates will leave with ideas
on how they can help build an economy of inclusion through education and action in 2015. Register here: http://bit.ly/1DMTmDD

Past trade
agreements carry unwanted consequences, such as displacement of rural farmers in
the Global South, the off-shoring of jobs from the U.S. in exchange for
dangerous, low wage jobs abroad, and increased environmental degradation from
mining and other extractive industries. With November’s elections behind us,
our elected officials are poised to tackle trade issues with renewed fervor in
the New Year. With several deals on the
table, 2015 has the potential to shape the global economic landscape for years
to come.

Renco, a
U.S.-owned lead smeltering plant in Peru, caused high lead levels in children.
Now Renco hopes to recover lost profits under the Peruvian-US trade agreement. Photo
courtesy of Rev. Jed Koball..

Washington, D.C., January 15, 2015 – As President Obama prepares to present his plan for his final two
years in office in the annual State of the Union address next week, a group of
Christian leaders is already looking ahead to what the next president may do to
address hunger and poverty.

The group of 100 Christian
leaders around the country, including the Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk
of the PC(USA) General Assembly, is challenging the presidential candidates to
appear on camera in a video stating how they propose to provide help and
opportunity to hungry and poor people in the United States and abroad.

"We are praying for a
president who will make ending hunger and poverty a top priority of his or her
administration. Are you that leader?" a statement from the group asks. The
full statement is available at www.circleofprotection.us.

The leaders, convened by
the Circle of Protection, represent a diverse array of Christian denominations,
churches, colleges, and agencies across the country. They will disseminate the
videos throughout their networks and memberships in order to raise hunger and
poverty as an election issue.

"We
will be calling on people of faith to examine presidential candidates to see if
they have a heart for poor and hungry people.We want to know how each candidate proposes to fulfill the mandate to
those who govern to "give deliverance to the needy" (Psalm 72), the
leaders said in their statement released today.

According to
the latest U.S. Census data, 49 million Americans are at risk of hunger, while
45 million live in poverty. One in five children lives in poverty. That is 15
million children, 5 million of them under age 6.

The
challenge to candidates was issued today during a press conference organized by
the Circle of Protection. Speakers included Rev. David Beckmann, president of
Bread for the World; Galen Carey, vice president of government relations for
the National Association of Evangelicals; Rev. Sèkinah Hamlin, director of the
Ecumenical Poverty Initiative; Rev. Carlos Malavè, executive director of
Christian Churches Together; Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities
USA; and Rev. Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners.

###

The Circle of Protection is a coalition
composed of more than 65 heads of denominations, relief and development
agencies, and other Christian organizations. www.circleofprotection.us

Quotes:

The
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was represented at the press conference by the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, PC(USA) Director
for Public Witness:

“Hunger
and poverty in a world of abundance are sins and we have the responsibility –
both at our church doors and in our halls of government – to address the
underlying root causes that trap generations in poverty. Our elected leaders,
those who have been elected and those who are seeking election, must have a
comprehensive plan that begins to undo the vast and growing income inequality
in this nation. We must make education and good jobs – with living wages and good
benefits – available to all people. I hope to see bold vision from these
Presidential candidates.”

Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World:

"There is broad consensus among faith leaders that
our country has been culpably neglectful of poverty, especially in our own
country.100 Christian leaders of all
stripes are urging all the candidates to explain, on camera, what they would do
to provide help and opportunity to hungry and poor people in our country and
around the world.”

Galen Carey, vice president for government
relations, National Association of Evangelicals:

“There are different ways to address the needs of poor and vulnerable
people—some more effective than others. Christians who believe government
leaders are called to share God’s concern for the poor and vulnerable want to
know how presidential candidates would approach this essential responsibility.
Silence on poverty is inexcusable.”

Rev. Sèkinah Hamlin, director of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative:

“We are looking for those who aspire to become president of the United
States to seize this moment and take decisive leadership in ways that address
the complex yet solvable evil of poverty, particularly as poverty affects
nearly one in every five children in America and one in every three children of
color.”

“Christian leaders from all major Christian traditions
have come to have a shared sense that the extent of poverty in this country is
unnecessary and shameful. We expect that our president, regardless of which
political party he or she represents, place hunger and poverty at the top of
his or her priorities."

Fr.
Larry Snyder, president Catholic Charities USA:

"For the 45 million Americans living in
poverty, the state of our union leaves them struggling to get by. Helping them
achieve their full potential should not be a partisan issue - it's time for
candidates from both sides of the aisle to have a meaningful conversation about
advancing the common good," said Fr. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic
Charities USA.

Jim Wallis, founder and CEO, Sojourners:

"The State of the Union is still not good for poor and
vulnerable people in America. Should we also not consider God's point of view
as we look toward this important speech? Throughout the Scripture, we're told
that a society will be judged by how they treat "the least" among
them. Our political leaders also must be assessed through the measure of their
commitment to the poor and most vulnerable. Though political advisors are
telling their candidates that they shouldn't talk about poverty, as people of
faith we must and will disagree. That is why, as each presidential candidate
declares, the faith community will hold them accountable by asking them
all-Republicans and Democrats alike--to tell answer the question "how will
you treat those Jesus has called 'the least of these'"? How will you
address and find real solutions to poverty?"

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Today, the House of Representatives
approved amendments to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill,
H.R. 240, which would be harmful to immigrants already living in the United
States, as well as to those seeking protection from harm — including the most
vulnerable among us: children.

Background:

In the budget debates at the end of last
year, Congress fully funded all governmental departments for Fiscal Year 2014-2015,
except the Department of Homeland Security. This was a strategic move by
Republicans so that the 114th Congress, with Republican leadership,
could respond to the Obama administration’s Nov.
20 Executive Action that provides deportation relief to undocumented
parents of permanent resident and citizen children.

Three Troubling Amendments in the House DHS Appropriations Bill:

The Aderholt (AL) Amendment prevents any funds being used to implement the Nov. 20, 2014
Executive Action.

The Blackburn (TN)
Amendment stops funds being used to implement the 2012 Executive Action
(Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals- DACA). DACA provides temporary deportation
relief and work permits to DREAMers. It would put over 600,000 DACA
beneficiaries under threat of deportation.

The Desantis (FL) Amendment removes DHS discretion to considerthe needs of immigrant victims who may have been wrongly accused, pled
guilty to or been unfairly convicted of domestic violence charges.

These amendments take us backwards as a
country, rather than fixing our broken immigration system. We've won huge
victories for immigrant families in recent months and we can't let
anti-immigrant proposals in Congress stop the President's executive action on
immigration or stall our progress!

As people of faith, we stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters: young
people and families whose lives will be changed by the President's executive
action, children seeking protection from gang violence, and all individuals
fleeing persecution who see the United States as a beacon of hope, safety and
freedom.

What does the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Say?

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has
strong policy affirming the inclusion of immigrants in our society. The 217th General Assembly of the PC(USA), in
a renewal of our call to love our neighbor, stated, “We affirm the PC(USA)’s
commitment to providing sanctuary to anyone in need of safe space, food or
shelter.”

Moreover, the 221st General
Assembly created the Presbyterian Immigrant Defense
Initiative, a campaign to “empower” Presbyterians to work to change
policies and practices that infringe on the human and civil rights of
immigrants in our communities including immigrant detention, streamlined
deportation, and the executing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by
local law enforcement.

About Me

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Its task is to advocate, and help the church to advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church has a long history of applying these biblically and theologically-based insights to issues that affect the public — maintaining a public policy ministry in the nation's capital since 1946.
Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy. In addition, Presbyterian forefather John Calvin wrote, "Civil magistry is a calling not only holy and legitimate, but by far the most sacred and honorable in human life."